Humankind vs. World

Expansive plots and low-key stories, myriad genres and forms: the 58th Krakow Film Festival cannot be ignored!

“On one hand we are taking an in-depth look at the ideological and social tension around us, frequently escalating into armed conflict, while on the other we are exploring understated tales of people torn by internal conflict. We tried to capture this diversity when preparing the programme of this year’s events,” says Anita Piotrowska, film critic and curator of the festival.

Off to a good start

The festival opens on 27 May at Kijów.Centrum with Tomasz Drozdowicz’s Concerto for Two: an intimate portrayal of the charismatic conductor, pianist and composer Jerzy Maksymiuk and his extraordinary relationship with his wife Ewa. “Concerto for Two is a dynamic look at the creative process intertwined with the mundane, often funny daily occurrences which are much more difficult to write as a vivid score,” says Krzysztof Gierat, director of the Krakow Film Festival.

The winner of this year’s prestigious Dragon of Dragons award is the Ukrainian director, based in Germany, Sergei Loznitsa, whose exceptional works have been described as “cinema of pure recording”. Many of the artist’s films have earned international acclaim, including the drama A Gentle Creature and the documentary Maidan. The programme features a masterclass and a retrospective of the works by the youngest ever winner of the prize.

Kraków also welcomes the Israeli author, screenwriter and master of short forms Etgar Keret. The festival presents his unconventional film Etgar Keret: Based on a True Story, created by the Dutch director Stephane Kaas and writer Rutger Lemm.

Cinematic journeys

War seen from all sides of the conflict, difficult family relationships and unusual places with inspiring histories: the international competition once again surprises us with the diversity of topics and forms. In his Of Fathers and Sons, Talal Derki reveals the shocking realities of the war in Syria, visits the family of a member of ISIS and observes the radicalisation of the “soldiers of god”. The topic of families and complex relationships returns in Kaleo La Belle’s Fell in Love With a Girl: the artist turns the camera on himself and the two most important women in his life – his former and current partners. Till Schauder takes us on a journey to Jamaica to take a look at the national football team training for World Cup qualifiers; however, The Reggae Boyz isn’t so much about sport and competition as it is about portraying the vibrant homeland of Bob Marley and the Rastafarian religion. The festival also features Polish accents. This year’s competition for the Golden Horn features two Polish productions: the acclaimed documentary Over the Limit about the Russian gymnast Margarita Mamun which earned the director Marta Prus an entry on “Variety” magazine’s prestigious list of ten Europeans to watch, and The Last Lesson by Grzegorz Zariczny, author of The Whistle awarded at the Sundance Film Festival.

The international short film competition for the Golden Dragon features documentaries, dramas and animations from around the globe. Keep Your Hair On, Oliver (dir. Armelle Mercat) is the story of a man desperately trying to hide his receding hairline from his wife, while Tungrus (dir. Rishi Chandna) tells a tragicomic tale of a family in India being terrorised by a cockerel. Marta Pajek returns to the festival with her latest animation III, which she is also taking to the short film competition in Cannes; Olga Chajdas’ Morning Has Broken is a brutal portrayal of one woman’s breakdown with the outstanding Izabela Kuna in the starring role.

Short dramas and experiments, humour, satire, horror, historical and contemporary stories – the Polish film competition presents the audience with myriad genres. “The common theme is a certain disquiet, trepidation, rooted in an inner sense of disappointment, disillusionment, but also in an external fear,” says Dagmara Romanowska, curator of the section. The documentary section features Stanisław Berbeka’s Dreamland dedicated to the memory of his father Maciej Berbeka, the alpinist who died in 2013 during his descent from Broad Peak. The titles in the animation section speak for themselves: The Ant Gets Married (dir. Michał Poniedzielski), Christ of Nation (dir. Ewa Drzewicka) and Colaholic (dir. Marcin Podolec). The organisers promise plenty of fun! The programme is packed full of premieres, including an animation about Roman Polański Masterclass.

Music map of the world

Oscar-winning film music, Finnish rock, Ethiopian funk and Soviet electronica – the youngest festival competition DocFilmMusic takes no prisoners! Films competing for the Golden Hejnał include Maciej Bochniak’s Ethiopiques: Revolt of the Soul telling a captivating, dazzling story of one of the most unusual styles of jazz, originating from swinging Ethiopia of the 1970s. Viktors Buda’s Era of Dance presents the obsession with electronic music in the Soviet Union. Fans of heavier sounds can’t miss Jukka Kärkkäinen and Jani-Petteri Passi’s Punk Voyage revealing the fascinating story of one of Finland’s most unusual music projects, Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät, comprising musicians with disabilities; the group were also protagonists of another acclaimed documentary The Punk Syndrome.

From near and from afar

Every year, during the section Focus on… the Krakow Film Festival presents the latest productions from a chosen country. The 58th festival focuses on Estonia. “We bring fascinating stories seen through the eyes of Estonian artists. Some are familiar, since they talk about a similar, recent past, while others reveal completely new aspects of the country,” promises Barbara Orlicz-Szczypuła, director of the programme office.

The Estonian cycle opens on 28 May at Kijów.Centrum with an international premiere of Rodeo. Taming a Wild Country (dir. Raimo Jõerand, Kiur Aarma) attended by the filmmakers. It presents the complicated fates of young idealists who suddenly found themselves in charge of the newly independent Baltic country. Terje Toomistu’s Soviet Hippies introduces long-haired artists, vagrants and colourful birds recalling the days of seeking freedom and love in the country behind the Iron Curtain. Jaanis Valk’s Ahto. Chasing a Dream tells the true story of Ahto Valter who made his dream of sailing around the world come true in 1938.

The Panorama of Polish Film features eighteen of the best productions of recent months, including cinematic portrayals of women: the art curator Anda Rottenberg (Framing Freedom, dir. Róża Fabjanowska, Sławomir Malcharek) and the astronomer and founder of the Polish Humanitarian Action Janina Ochojska (Janka, dir. Adela Kaczmarek). We will also relive the magical atmosphere of World Youth Days in Kraków (Days of Transition, dir. Tomasz Jurkiewicz) and listen to traditional Mongolian throat singing performed by women (Sing, dir. Olga Korotkaya).

The popular section Sound of Music is led by the steadfast Piotr Metz. This time the outdoor Cinema by Wawel Castle presents some of the best Polish music films from across the ages. The section Festival Winners presents films awarded at partner festivals, while Kids & Youth focuses on the youngest fans of the silver screen. The momentum and variety brought by the Krakow Film Festival will make your head spin! Ready?

(Justyna Skalska, "Karnet" magazine)